Broken Soul
by mentalsunflower
Summary: It is a different time, a different scene, where pain is undeniable and a girl's life is taken by the hands of the boy who loves her.


**A/N: **This is, a story, where…hm…let's say, Takuto never really figured out his feelings for Mitsuki. He never confessed his love to her, even though he's figured out Eichi is dead. And let's pretend that he's actually a lot weaker than he is, because he gave in to "the man", haha.

**Disclaimer: **Arina Tanemura! (Jonas forever!)

* * *

He stands in her house. She's sleeping in that way he always found strange; so still and straight, like she is a doll and not a human. He is tempted to do nothing. To just stand and watch instead of undertaking what he supposed to do.

He has tried and failed. And now he will be punished for it. As if being a Shinigami isn't enough…

"Mitsuki," he murmurs hoarsely, shaking her shoulder lightly. He hears Meroko behind him, whimpering.

The girl's eyes flutter open. She looks to be still half-asleep. "T—Takuto?" she mumbles, sitting up a little straighter and yawning. "What's wrong?" She must have noticed the pain in his eyes, the weariness in his face.

"Nothing," he replies quietly, tenderly. She blinks.

She has forgotten.

"Mitsuki," he whispers, bending down on a knee so he is the same height as the small girl, "did you forget?"

Her eyes crinkle in thought, and Takuto sighs heavily, trying with difficulty not to make the oppression in the room any heavier. Her eyes flicker to Meroko, who is hovering in the air, tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Um…I…" And then it happens. She remembers, and her eyes widen with jolted shock. "O…Oh," she whispers in a heart-breaking, trembling voice. Takuto stands up abruptly, turning away to face the wall. He can't look at her. Not now, when she is crying silently and begging for just a little longer, please not yet, she wants to sing.

And he feels his own tears running down his face. Why? _Why? _Why did he have to become a Shinigami? Why did she have to be able to see them in the first place? It had made it all so complicated…

And now, came the worst.

"Meroko, stand back," Takuto says, cold and heartless and so much unlike himself. She doesn't argue as usual, but instead floats behind Takuto.

"Mitsuki," she whispers, but she can't say anything else because she breaks into tears. Mitsuki look so alone, sitting on her bed with her hair mussed and her pyjamas crumpled from sleep.

And from beneath her tears, she manages a small smile. A smile so painful Takuto feels his insides burn with the sting.

"Thank you so much," she whispers, and Takuto feels anger flaring inside of him. But for once in his life, he knows this is not the time to get cross. He has never really figured out the warmness of his heart around this girl, or why whenever she smiled he felt his stomach flop. He hasn't figured it out, because he has been trying to hide it. Trying to pretend it doesn't exist.

"Mitsuki," is the only thing he manages to say in his familiar warning tone, "why are you being this way?"

The moon is shining in through the windows. Mitsuki looks over at it slowly; it is the full moon, and Takuto knows what she is thinking, and it hurts. It hurts so much he wants to kill himself instead.

"Eichi is waiting for me," she says in a tone that is mingled with happiness and fear.

Takuto grimaces. He wants to shout at her, to scream at her until she realizes that she should _live, _she should _sing, _but Takuto's cowardice kicks in and he crumples inside. He doesn't know what to do. He knows the job is to be done, but it's just so painful.

"Takuto, please," she whispers, and it is that voice that forces Takuto to call upon his sword. It glows golden, and he holds it out, the tip pointed directly at Mitsuki's face, although he is all the way at the end of her futon.

"Takuto!" Meroko shouts, and she twitches. Takuto glares at her. "You heard her," he whispers venomously, and it is the first indication the entire ordeal of how he truly feels.

He turns to her. She is smiling, crying, and clutching that stupid necklace in her hands. "I'll be with Eichi," she mumbles. Takuto is tempted to just snap right now. To just maybe jump on her and kiss her, although that is a new feeling and Takuto is so surprised at his thoughts he almost drops his sword.

"I like you, Takuto," she says quietly and suddenly. Takuto's eyes widen, and the tears are falling now. He can't do anything to stop them. "You and Meroko are amazing—"

"SHUT UP!" he screams, his fingers gripping his sword tightly. He is looking at the ground, panting and crying and confused. "JUST SHUT UP!" A deadly silence hangs in the air. No one knows what to say. "STOP BEING SO HAPPY!" He lifts his head to glare at her, and he knows she sees the tears because she is shocked through her own.

"WE HAVE TO _KILL _YOU! SHUT UP!" He sobs, and he feels like a baby. But Meroko's arms wrap around his neck in a hug, and he feels a bit better.

"I…" She doesn't know what to say. Now is the time. The sword straightens again. Mitsuki twitches.

"I'm sorry," he tells her with a cracked voice. And that is the last words between them, because he clenches his fist and squeezes his eyes shut; and with one swipe through the air, he can feel the strength of the sword running at Mitsuki. For a split second, there is a tense silence, but Mitsuki is smiling and he knows she is thinking about Eichi, and it makes him angry and sad and _why _couldn't she thinking about _him?_

But then the next second she crumples to the bed. Her soul, a small orb of pink light, floats lazily toward Takuto. And he cradles it in his hands, the sword lying forgotten at his feet, and he cries. He collapses onto his knees, sobbing and clutching her soul in his hands. Meroko is silent; he doesn't know what she is thinking, but he is lost in his own void of pain.

And he feels wings sprouting on his back and cat ears poking out of his hair. He is a true Shinigami now.

But as he lies on the floor and cries, his tears landing gently on her soul, he knows it wasn't worth it.


End file.
